— Dogs Find New Homes After Dangerous Hurricanes —
New York, NY – The American Kennel Club (AKC) and The Florida Association of Kennel Clubs (FAKC) coordinated with Northwest Airlines Cargo to ship twenty-five displaced dogs, left homeless after Hurricanes Charley and Frances, to rescue groups and foster homes around the country. Twenty dogs from Orlando and five from Tampa were flown to Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, Portland (Oregon), Albany (New York), and Buffalo.
Northwest Airlines Cargo moved quickly to determine from which cities the dogs could be flown, to what cities they needed to be shipped, and how much space was available for cargo on these flights.
More than half of the dogs weighed more than 70 pounds each. Fortunately, Northwest’s larger Boeing 757s and Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft could easily handle the extra-large and giant kennels most of the dogs required. Some of the dogs were also brachycephalic, which affects the respiratory tract and a dog’s ability to breathe, so particular attention was paid to the hot, summer temperatures.
“The AKC applauds the quick response of Northwest Airlines Cargo in helping these animals in need,” said Noreen Baxter, Vice President of Communications for the AKC. “We were thrilled to work with Northwest in giving these dogs a brighter future.”
“Northwest Airlines Cargo is pleased to have provided to the AKC transportation of these dogs to their new homes across the United States,” said Gregg Pittelkow, Senior Specialist – Operations, Northwest Airlines Cargo, and Chairman of the Live Animal/ Perishables Board of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which sets standards for live animal transportation.
“All of the dogs were very well behaved. In fact, most of them were sound asleep in their kennels while waiting to be loaded onto the planes. We have a long history of partnering with the AKC on important issues involving pet transportation, and we’re glad to have worked with them on the rescue of these dogs left homeless by Hurricanes Charley and Frances,” added Pittelkow.
For media inquiries, contact Thomas Becher at Northwest Airlines (612-727-4759).